A multi-billion dollar global industry unit, the music industry is distinct and exceedingly multifaceted in activities. The music industry needs educated producers with thorough focused knowledge, expertise, and training.
A boring and hushed life is a life without music. The music we hear on the radio, on TV, or on your music player are all fruits of the labor of a music producer. The music producer plans and coordinates the creation of a musical recording. A producer contracts technicians who in return, master, dub, and duplicate these musical recordings. A producer contracts the people behind a musical recording including singers, music arrangers, guitarists, drum players, and pianists.
Educational Background
Basically, there are no specific educational requirements for someone who wants to be a music producer. Although anyone can be a music producer, formal music training can be an advantage. Moreover, there are several universities that offer music training. Some of these universities are even offering online degrees. An aspiring music producer can take formal music classes as these courses can help establish good musical credentials. Formal music training can also help intensify the musical comprehension of an aspiring music producer. Music training certifications and degrees don’t only help establish credible profiles for an aspiring music producer but also help boost the odds of getting better salaries and compensation once employed.
Duties and Responsibilities
A music producer has varied duties and responsibilities to attend to. First, he has to look for potential and interesting music talents. Then, he has to have financially stable investors to help finance the musical production. A music producer is responsible for helping and guiding bands and musicians all through the rehearsing and recording phases of the music project.
He also has to work hand-in-hand with the radio broadcasters and the record distributors to make sure that the recordings reach the target market. Part of a music producer’s responsibility is to endorse and market bands and musicians with the use of different marketing and promotional techniques. If a music producer is working on a movie, it is his responsibility to confer the movie’s musical necessities with the movie director and the music composer prior to choosing the music for the movie. A music producer usually spends most of his time in meetings, or on a phone conversation with musicians and clients. If not in a meeting, a music producer may be spending time with the band or musicians recording at the studio.
Employment and Compensation
A music producer is usually self-employed, working for their own record companies or producing labels. A well-off music producer is someone who has a string of successful music talents who are connected to his own record label. Successful music producers have the potential to become very affluent. If employed and working for big record companies or labels like Warner Brothers, Island, and Sony, a music producer may be paid by the hour, by song, or album. Others charge for points or how successfully the record sells in the market.*
*According to the BLS, http://www.bls.gov/oco/
